I am writing to congratulate you on the important and timely report in last week’s Queens Courier regarding the problem of human trafficking (“Sex Slaves,” March 16, 2006, page 3). As your report indicates, the smuggling of women and underage girls into this country for purposes of prostitution is part of an international phenomenon with local consequences.
Human trafficking is nothing less than a form of modern-day slavery: women are promised a better life in the United States by so-called snakeheads, or alien smugglers, and then forced into prostitution once here. As Chairman of the Majority Task Force on Immigration in the New York State Senate, I have participated in public hearings on human trafficking documenting the scope of the problem as well as its effect on our neighborhoods; as your report indicates, many of your readers are also acutely aware of this issue. Thankfully, I have been able to offer a legislative solution.
My Senate bill (S.3914-B) would increase penalties for human traffickers, and provide for restitution and other assistance to their victims. This legislation represents a comprehensive approach to address the scourge of human trafficking, an example of acting locally to address a global problem. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate; however, the Assembly has failed to act on it.
Again, I congratulate you on your attention to this issue, and I would urge your readers to continue to be involved in addressing a problem that harms the women and girls involved, and affects the quality of life of all of us.
Frank Padavan,
State Senator
